The year was 1940. Thousands of Allied soldiers were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. The enemy was closing in fast. Panic spread as the soldiers looked out to sea, hoping for rescue ships. With every tick of the clock, their chances of escape grew slimmer. The Germans were quickly advancing to the shores, effectively surrounding thousands of soldiers and trapping them in what could only be viewed as certain death. That was until nearly 700 boats started appearing on the horizon. Sailing over from the UK, these boats gave the Allied soldiers the escape route they needed. Among them, a British fireboat called the Massey Shaw was responsible for saving as many as 600 soldiers.
It’s estimated that over 300,000 British and French soldiers were rescued that day from an impending German massacre. To pay tribute to the boats that ventured out to rescue the soldiers, and the Massey Shaw fireboat in particular, William Wood designed the Dunkirk Watch. Inspired by the boat’s engine order telegraph, the Dunkirk Watch has a face featuring various commands that the captain would trigger while commandeering the boat’s engine.
Designer: William Wood
The Dunkirk Watch is perfect for history buffs and steamboat nerds who like wearing a relic of marine exploration on their wrists. The watch’s face gorgeously captures the details of the engine order telegraph seen on almost all boats from that time. The telegraph would have a handle that you could rotate to select one of multiple commands, allowing your boat to stay still or move ahead. The handle would have a hollow window, allowing you to ‘highlight’ an option on the telegraph – so to celebrate that, the watch boasts hollow outline-shaped hour and minute hands.
On the side of the watch, two red pipes reference the Massey Shaw’s firefighting system, comprised of multiple red pipes that pumped water to help douse fires. Inside, a Sellita SW200 movement powers the timepiece. The watch also comes with luminous markings on the dial and straps made from military leather as well as fabric from firefighter suits. Flip the watch over and you’re greeted with artwork on the back, capturing the tense scene of Operation Dynamo which rescued roughly 338,000 soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk. In the center of the artpiece is a small metal fragment pulled from the engine of the Massey Shaw, putting literal history on your wrist. The watch also has the message “We Will Remember Them” inscribed on the back, along with a serial number unique to each timepiece.
The Massey Shaw played a pivotal role in Britain’s history through the years. While it was best remembered for its role in Operation Dynamo, the London Fire Brigade Fireboat also helped save St. Paul’s Cathedral in London during the German Blitz. It’s said that planes dropped as many as 28 bombs on the cathedral in December of 1940, but the Massey Shaw continuously pumped water from the Thames, keeping the cathedral standing even after an intense bombing campaign. In 1947, the fireboat was one of many secret meeting locations that helped form what we know today as Britain’s NHS or National Health Service.
The Massey Shaw was retired from service in 1971, and now sits on London’s harbor, with a scheduled visit to Dunkirk in 2025 to mark the event’s 80-year anniversary. Aside from making the watch, William Wood also donated £10,000 to help repair and restore the Massey Shaw. The first 600 people to purchase the Dunkirk Watch will also receive a commemorative limited-edition Operation Dynamo coin, and will even have their names engraved on a plaque installed within the Massey Shaw.
The Dunkirk Watch starts at £3,995.00 GBP ($5100 USD approx), and delivers in November 2024. You can order yours on William Wood’s website.
